Connexis transition plan approved by TEC

benstevens News, Our People, RoVE

Connexis has been given the green light to transfer its core functions into other entities as part of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). Connexis Chief Executive Kaarin Gaukrodger says there was widespread confidence, from within the organisation, the industry and TEC, that the transition plan puts Infrastructure in the best position to benefit from the reforms. “It provides for …

Girls with Hi-Vis gets national media coverage

benstevens Civil, Energy, News, Ultimit / Women in Infrastructure, Water

Girls with Hi-Vis® is well underway and has been getting national attention with an article in the New Zealand Herald. On Friday 11 June, the NZ Herald ran a feature on the Girls with Hi-Vis® (GWHV) initiative and the value women can bring to the infrastructure industries. Read the article here, including a profile of Ultimit Ambassador Kat Kaiwai of Tairāwhiti …

RoVE Bulletin #5

benstevens eNews, News, RoVE

Kia ora koutou, The year is racing by and while the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) has been keeping us busy, we are very happy with the direction of current developments, both in terms of the reforms and the continued growth of Infrastructure trainees and apprentices. Our Transition Plan was submitted to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) last month following …

Connexis welcomes boost to industry training from Budget 2021

benstevens News

Trades training is getting the support it needs as the Government commits $279.5 million to vocational education and training (VET) in its latest Budget, says Kaarin Gaukrodger, Chief Executive of Connexis, the infrastructure industry training organisation.  “Apprenticeships in the infrastructure sector are seeing unprecedented growth right now and this funding will enable us to take advantage of demand and support both our employers and learners.”   She adds the Budget provides the required funding to allow vocational education organisations to build towards …

RoVE Bulletin #4

benstevens News, RoVE

Kia ora koutou, As one of the early mover Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITOs), planning to transition our Arranging Training functions this year, we continue to stay at the forefront of decision-making around the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). This week we will be submitting our transition plan for our Arranging Training and Standard Setting functions to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for …

Taking the hard road – Kat Kaiwai

benstevens Civil, News, NZ Apprenticeships, Our People

The highlight of Katareina Kaiwai’s four-year journey to achieve her Civil Infrastructure Apprenticeship was getting it finished.  That is not to say that Kat, who now runs her own roading firm, Tairāwhiti Contractors, did not enjoy her training. In fact, one of the first things she did after completing her Apprenticeship was to ask her Connexis Customer Service Account Manager (CSAM) what qualification she could do next.  However, she says it was only once she got to the end of her training that she …

RoVE Bulletin #3

benstevens News, RoVE

Kia ora koutou, The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) is gathering pace and key developments and announcements are arising with greater frequency and tighter deadlines. Decisions made now will have long-lasting impacts for Transitional Industry Training Organisations (TITOs) and our subsidiary staff, employers, learners, and everyone else involved in vocational learning. While this is a significant change to how industry training …

Apprenticeship Boost Extension

benstevens News

Great news for our employers and trainees this week. The Government has extended the Apprenticeship Boost fund by four months so it now runs until August 2022. This means employers can gain an extra four months of wage subsidies for apprentices in their first two years of training. It also means employers who take on new apprentices during those four …

RoVE Bulletin #2

benstevens News, RoVE

Kia ora koutou, The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) continues to ramp up, with plans this year to set up the Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and have the first Transitional Industry Training Organisations transfer their Arranging Training functions to another entity. In MARCH, this month, there are two opportunities to get involved and have your say in the:  governance of the WDCs; design …

RoVE Bulletin #1

benstevens News, RoVE

Kia ora koutou,  Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and had time to relax and recharge.  As the year kicks off, so does our work around the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE). 2021 is a significant year for industry training as we look to transition into the new unified education system.  Throughout this period of change, …